Time for F1 to embrace alternative media

With the sport's TV audiences declining, now's the time to see alternative media as an opportunity to maximise exposure rather than any sort of threat, according to JONATHAN NOBLE

The fall in Formula 1's television viewing figures by 50 million in 2013 prompted many doom mongers to suggest the end was nigh for grand prix racing. Such a huge drop-off in interest, at a time when F1 is crying out for more fans and bigger sponsors, was viewed as a warning sign for the extent of the trouble it was in.

The move to pay-TV channels, in a bid to chase the only networks that could afford the huge rights fees F1 demands, has not unsurprisingly led to a dramatic cut in audiences - already weakened by Red Bull dominance and less-than-spectacular racing.